♪ glowing bright to guide me when i fall i fall on tragedy ♪ ♪ welcome to the inner workings of my mind so dark and foul i can't disguise ♪ ♪ can't disguise nights like this ♪ ♪ i become afraid of the darkness in my heart hurricane ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jay: ms. mr. nice job, you guys. thank you that was terrific. hey, folks, wait, i want to thank my guest simon, megyn and ms. mr. jimmy fallon happening right now, jimmy! [ cheers and applause ] ♪

>> steve: from studio 6a in rockefeller center, the national broadcasting company presents -- tonight's guests are -- and featuring the legendary roots crew. and here he is -- jimmy fallon! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: thank you very, very much!

hey, everybody, how are you doing? [ cheers and applause ] oh, thank you very much. that's what i'm talking about. hot crowd! hot crowd right there! [ cheers and applause ] i love it! welcome. welcome to "late night with jimmy fallon." you guys feeling good tonight? [ cheers and applause ] well, welcome. we're going to have a fun time here tonight. here's what people are talking about. the grammy nominations just came out. and i want to say congrats to jay-z, who is nominated for nine grammys. [ cheers and applause ] he's actually nominated twice in the same category. [ light laughter ] that's going to be weird when jay-z loses to jay-z and then has to -- then has to pretend he's happy for jay-z. [ laughter ] he deserves it, he worked really hard. [ applause ] actually, jay-z and beyonce just announced that they are going on a vegan diet until christmas so that they can go on a spiritual and physical cleanse. even kim and kanye were like --

[ applause ] spiritual cleanse? eat a burger. let's see what's going on in washington here. vice president joe biden was happy to be back in the u.s. on saturday after spending six days in japan, china, and south korea. of course, no one had the heart to tell him it was only a p.f. chang's, but still. [ applause ] egg rolls and sushi and all sorts of food like that. speaking of biden, in a new interview, president obama said that joe biden has what it takes to be a great president. and he added "of the yo gabba gabba fan club." but still. [ applause ] he does. he could be president one day if he tries hard enough. do you guys like facebook? do you enjoy it? do you know it? [ cheers ] so you know, they have the like button and now facebook is in the news saying that they may add a sympathize button. that you can click when people make sad posts. so, it gets a little weird if people click it after you post a

picture of your wife. [ laughter ] >> steve: come on. [ applause ] >> jimmy: i meant to press "like," and i pressed -- we need to put a bag over that one button. oh, this is a funny story. a man was locked in an airplane for several hours after he fell asleep during a flight and nobody woke him up when it landed. [ laughter ] but other than that, biden had a great trip to asia. it was all egg rolls and -- [ applause ] -- sushi. that's all they had to eat there. oh, man. the knicks are having a tough time this year. ooh. my goodness. yesterday they fell five wins and 14 losses after losing to the celtics by 41 points. and so because they're off to such a bad start, we thought we'd take a look at their playbook to see what kind of plays they're running and now it kind of makes sense. take a look at some of the knicks' plays. this one here is the "pass the ball to the ref." i mean, that doesn't even make any sense. [ laughter ] next there's the "sub in the

knick city dancers and pray for the best." [ laughter ] they're talented. >> steve: yeah, they're very good. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> jimmy: they cut me. they cut me from the squad. look at this play here. this is the "put the ball under your shirt, pretend you're pregnant." that's a good one. "everyone, just let him through, let him through, he's pregnant. let him through." [ laughter ] here's the last one here. this is the "ask the guy guarding you about any possible openings on their team." [ applause ] i can play any position. ♪ [ applause ] t-shirt gun. i hate the t-shirt -- >> steve: t-shirt guns, tiny little -- >> jimmy: oh, is it a cannon? yeah, it's like a little gun. you get a tiny t-shirt for like, little barbie dolls. i don't like the t-shirt cannon. >> steve: no, it scares you. >> jimmy: it frightens me.

>> steve: get hit in the face with -- with a t-shirt. >> jimmy: -- yeah. >> steve: blood blister on your face. >> jimmy: don't joke about that. i just really don't like those t-shirt guns. >> steve: he's just telling you what he feels, people. sharing. >> jimmy: we can shoot some out here. you guys want us to shoot some t-shirt cannons? [ cheers and applause ] t-shirts? how about i just throw it as hard as i can? [ cheers and applause ] [ drum roll ] a little harder, now -- [ cheers and applause ] ♪ that's what i'm talking about. but -- be honest. a little frightening? [ laughter ] hey, guys. more sports news here. yankees second baseman

robinson cano. you guys know this guy? he just agreed to a huge $240 million, ten-year deal with the seattle mariners. cano said that while he appreciated his time with the yankees, he just believes deep down in his heart that seattle offered him $240 million. [ cheers and applause ] i had to follow my wall -- -- heart. [ applause ] i had to follow my heart. and this is a cool story. >> jimmy: this is pretty weird here. at the start of last night's game between the saints and the panthers, the players were doing that thing where they introduce themselves by saying their names and what schools they went to. well, here's a couple of guys doing it the normal way, and then panthers player greg hardy shows up. take a look at this.

>> colin cole. iowa. >> star lotulelei. university of utah. >> kraken. hogwarts. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> jimmy: obviously, it was just a joke, you know. because there are no black people at hogwarts. [ laughter ] the world cup is coming up next summer, and it was just announced on friday that the u.s. soccer team has a really tough schedule. they play against germany, ghana, and portugal. americans were pretty upset. they were like, "there's going to be soccer on tv again?" [ laughter ] this is probably a good idea. the federal government is coming out with a new five-year plan to help older drivers stay safe behind the wheel. yep. the plan is they just have old people hold up a frisbee and tell them they're steering. [ laughter ] [ applause ] "it handles pretty well. very cool." twitter is making news for recently appointing the first woman to the company's board. yep. there's a woman in charge. which explains why tweets can now contain 140 million characters. [ laughter ] that's what happens. i saw that three years after her viral hit song, "friday,"

rebecca black has released a new song, and it's called "saturday." [ laughter ] so just five more songs before she gets to retire. very exciting news for her. [ applause ] very exciting. and finally, a woman in georgia claims that she found marijuana in a burger she ordered from wendy's. or as white castle put it, "game on!" here we go, guys. it's a great show. give it up for the roots! ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: hey, everybody. oh, my goodness. thank you so much for watching. thank you for tuning in. it is monday. we're so happy to be back. we've got some big shows for you coming up. we have john goodman, joaquin phoenix, emma thompson and ralph fiennes will all be here. that's a great week. we'll have music from "yo gabba gabba!," kelly clarkson, and austin mahone.

[ cheers and applause ] that's my dude. austin mahone. but first, we have a great show for you tonight. she has two new movies hitting theaters. both of these movies have been getting crazy oscar buzz. she's phenomenal in both of these movies. she's just good in everything. amy adams is here! [ cheers and applause ] you know what's fun? we're going to team up with two audience members and play a friendly game of catch phrase later on in the show. plus, he's getting great reviews as well. the title character in the new coen brothers movie, "inside llewyn davis," oscar isaac will be joining us. [ cheers and applause ] that like, broke records or something this weekend. and we've got some great music from jack johnson! [ cheers and applause ] maybe a holiday song. >> steve: really? >> jimmy: maybe. i love the holidays. i do. and you guys, there are exactly five shows left before we go on christmas break, which means it's time for that beloved

late-night tradition, "five days of christmas sweaters." [ cheers and applause ] ♪ five days of christmas sweaters four days left ♪ >> jimmy: that's right. how are you? how are you doing there, junior? >> i was robbed by a big moose at large moose mountain. >> jimmy: all right. [ light laughter ] that's right. every show between now and christmas, we're giving one lucky audience member an awesome christmas sweater from the countdown to christmas cabinet. [ cheers and applause ] since, there are five shows left. let's open door number five! [ drum roll ] whoa. ♪ it's a christmas sweater. look at this guy here. oh, yeah. that's nice. look at the collar. totally bedazzled. and that's quality. that is quality right there.

now let's see -- [ cheers and applause ] -- let's see who's going home with tonight's sweater. everyone, look at your seat number. now, if i call your number, i need you to jump up and tell me where you are. quest, can i get a drum roll, please? >> questlove: sure. [ drum roll ] >> jimmy: why is he so happy? who wants me to pick their number, huh? come on! [ cheers and applause ] 131! ♪ [ cheers and applause ] yeah. ♪ come on in, buddy. come on in! hey, buddy. nice to see you, pal. i'll hold that for you. what is your name and where are you from? >> dave bergeron, from springfield, massachusetts. >> jimmy: hey. welcome, buddy. do you have anything like this? do you have anything like this at home? >> not even close. [ laughter ] >> jimmy: no, you came just in a

t-shirt. that's what you came in today. >> no, i came in a hoodie and a jacket. >> jimmy: you don't need that. it's the holiday season. you need a good sweater. it's cold out there, my friend. >> that's why i'm here today. >> jimmy: you're going to be -- your friends are going to be so jealous. do you mind if we put this on? [ cheers and applause ] oh, my goodness. ♪ >> it fits like a glove. >> jimmy: unbelievable. so cool. look at all the buttons. bedazzled. everything. that looks really great. it's easy to button and everything. that's right. give it up, you guys, for our winner. [ cheers and applause ] round of applause. keep watching all this week. we will be giving away a christmas sweater every night. we'll be right back with more "late night!" come on back! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ [ man ] j.r. celski takes first place. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ [ woman ] all right, j.r. go, buddy! [ male announcer ] td ameritrade. helping you reach your long-term goals one small step at a time. ♪ i picked it out in a snap ♪ what made it genius ♪ was my camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday it's an opportunitye to stop and savor, the unmistakable taste that reminds us that life is delicious.

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♪ no presents beneath the tree? ♪ ♪ wait a minute, now i see ♪ my gifts are above me ♪ that's my kind of holiday ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: welcome back, everybody. i love this time of year, because all the department stores and radio stations are playing christmas songs. and my favorite christmas song of all time is "all i want for christmas is you" by mariah carey. that's my jam. [ cheers and applause ] now, last year we did a little bit with that song and it was so much fun i'd like to show it to you all again. as a holiday treat here's me, mariah carey, and the roots singing "all i want for christmas is you" using only

classroom instruments. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ make my wish true all i want for christmas is you ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ ♪ there is just one thing i need ♪ ♪ and i ♪ i don't care about the presents underneath the christmas tree ♪ ♪ i don't need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace ♪ ♪ and i ♪ santa claus won't make me happy with a toy on christmas day ♪ ♪ i just want you for my own more than you could ever know ♪

♪ make my wish come true all i want for christmas is you ♪ ♪ you baby ♪ oh i won't ask for much this christmas ♪ ♪ i won't even wish for snow and i and i'm just gonna keep on waiting ♪ ♪ underneath the mistletoe ♪ ♪ i won't make a list and send it ♪ ♪ to the north pole for saint nick ♪ ♪ and i ♪ and i won't even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click ♪ ♪ 'cause i just want you here tonight holding on to you so tight ♪ ♪ what more can i do baby, all i want for christmas is you ♪ ♪ you you you baby ♪ ♪ oh, all the

lights are shining so brightly everywhere ♪ ♪ and the sound of children's laughter fills the air ♪ ♪ and everyone is singing ♪ ♪ i hear those sleigh bells ringing ♪ ♪ santa, won't you bring me the one i really need ♪ ♪ won't you please bring my baby to me ♪ ♪ oh, i don't want a lot for christmas this is all i'm asking for ♪ ♪ and i ♪ i just want to see my baby standing right outside my door ♪ ♪ oh, i just want you for my own ♪ ♪ more than you could ever know ♪ ♪ make my wish come true baby, all i want for christmas is ♪ ♪ you you, baby ♪ ♪ all i want for christmas

is you, baby ♪ ♪ all i want for christmas is you, baby ♪ ♪ all i want for christmas is you, baby ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: she can sing. mariah carey is just amazing. thank you, mariah! [ cheers and applause ] she can sing. oh, my goodness. one take. one take. guys, i'm in the spirit of giving right now. [ cheers and applause ] i'm just in the spirit. let's give away some awesome stuff. it's time for "late night stocking stuffers." here we go. ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: that is right. every night this week, we're going to be giving away an awesome gift to every single person in our studio audience. [ cheers and applause ] tonight's first gift, we've got something great for you guys. you want to see what you're taking home today? [ cheers and applause ] tonight's stocking stuffer is a mini jambox speaker from jawbone! [ cheers and applause ] hig-bones, tell me about it! [ cheers and applause ] >> steve: well jimmy, the mini jambox is the most compact high-quality wireless speaker yet. weighing only nine ounces. that's less than a bottle of water. it can go with you literally anywhere, and comes in nine designs and colors! jimmy! [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: very, very cool. very fun. enjoy the mini jambox, guys! we'll be right back with amy adams! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ modern/remixed version ♪

this holiday, tech the halls and ring in the savings with our radioshack price match guarantee. get great deals on the best brands at radioshack. [ cheers and applause ]

♪ >> jimmy: our first guest is a four-time oscar nominee who south africa. 11:00 a.m. here local time, 4:00 a.m. on east coast of the united states as so much of the official world has gathered for the official remembrance of

nelson mandela and the first reference of what will be many all day as our coverage continues of this memorial. and that is the absolutely miserable weather. we feel mostly for all the folks who have filled what is the largest stadium of the continent of africa, 95,000 give or take capacity. this huge monolith built largely for world cup soccer 2010. most of the spectator areas are covered. there has been a tremendous premium put on seats for the people. we talked a lot about the dignita dignitaries. this is an opportunity for the people to come and celebrate the life of nelson mandela. all day long we will be sharing

these pictures as they come to us from south african television. and their cameras are kind of scanning the crowd, as you see. and we will see many members of the mandela family. we will see many world leaders. there has been much talk and speculation about the odd combination today is going to give us between presidents and kings and at least one queen and a few assorted dictators and criminals who have come wearing suits to remember a man who befriended them all, by the way. president obama and mrs. obama and former secretary of state hillary clinton. and there are the bushes. quite a plane load from washington. a light rain became a heavier

and steadier rain today. we are getting winds around 20 miles per hour adding to how unpleasant it was. president carter there. we spent time with him yesterday. he came over. they are part of the group called the elders, a kind of council group of world leaders who have been giving advice and council to nelson mandela and this country. this would be a very good time to tell our audience i will be joined throughout by our resident over here for much of the past 20 years. as we see the scenes go past you can help me narrate what we are watching. the arrivals very solemn. the world leaders are going to

make for such an odd confluence. so many people out there. they are seeing this as a blessing as they are seeing being able to say good bye to nelson mandela. >> no one is bothered by the rain. perhaps the visiting americans are bothered by the rain. these -- we'll keep showing you the official arrivals. naomi campbell is here, a couple of celebrities are here, all of them people who in the magnificent patchwork was the life of nelson mandela befriended nelson mandela over the years.

charlise theron. they are together now. most of the official events coverage has been made. there is tony blair, one of four british prime ministers. john major, david cameron i heard an interview with him this morning on local radio talking about the importance of this gathering. i have to say the seats that are down front and exposed in the rain have been late to fill in. no one can blame them. but as we look at the stadium it's filling in a little slowly.

charlene, maybe you can [ inaudible ]. >> i think that is my floor mate. she came in with a huge entorage. everyone has hotel lobbies full of lapel pins. >> sarkozy and president hollande. lester holt inside. tell us the scene there.

>> reporter: well, i can tell you i got here about 6:00 this morning. the crowd was gathering outside. we were gathering right at the gate. [ inaudible ] i got to talk to a lot of the people here and the joy from people. i talked to young people and young women who were born shortly before the end of apartheid and said we are here as gratitude. one young lady says i have two college degrees. that would have been impossible if i were born a bit earlier. she said she owes gratitude to nelson mandela. there is about i would say the stadium is roughly half full. 90,000 capacity. the camera may not be able to show but when you get to the

higher parts of the stadium [ inaudible ]. it is a rainy season in south africa. some underneath umbrellas and some with plastic garbage bags. several people told me i want to be here for a part of my country's history. some of the older people here say i want to make sure my children experience [ inaudible ]. you just can't help but be swept into it all. [ inaudible ]

. >> lester holt down at our camera location on the floor of the event. lester, we are going to try to get you a hand held microphone so we can hear you. we know you are fighting with the overhead audio and will be all day. while lester was talking our cameras continue to show some of the dignitaries and ordinary citizens gathering. we saw briefly a shot of one of the members of the south africa world cup team. the story that was memorialized in the movie "invictus". again, we'll just continue to

watch these delegations. t that is steven harper. there we go. there is nelson mandela with the world cup trophy. there is a hitch with getting people in, registration? >> winnie mandela and her family, i spoke with them a few minutes ago and they still had not received their registration. i initially thought part of the reason the media had to register and there were hundreds of us, but they were giving registrations to ordinary citizens. one would have thought by now of course winnie mandela and her family would have them. we are waiting to see whether they do get permission to come through those gates. they are being very strict about it even though it is a large auditorium. i think people are worried about

the security. i heard someone on the radio a little while ago saying he had seen the beast. he was talking about the context of obama. the person who was on the air was saying, excuse me, were you making a comment on president obama. and he said no, no, that's what they call the car. i think a lot of people are here because there is going to be the -- so many of the dignitaries are coming here to johannesburg. >> the homeland has one road in and one road out. >> zuma. i think that is president zuma.

i just saw the glimpse of his head. >> we were on the highway coming here -- there is president zuma of south africa. >> and one of his many wives. >> we were on the highway. there was an overturned truck. through the traffic backup we think came a motorcade. it was very exciting trying to get here. you got the impression that half the world was trying to get here, as well. there has been an elaborate credentialing process. there were lines of five and six hours to get credentials for news media. vips have car passes so they are coming up into what is the kind of covered entrance to this beautiful soccer stadium in soweto. they are all getting escorted into their seats. >> i came in just as you did.

i was so struck by how much improvement has been made here in soweto. it is raining. i didn't have a rain coat so i stopped. the driver said there is a shopping center. we go in and every conceivable designer shop was in there. it was just amazing. and there weren't very many people because it was early in the morning. the driver told me by mid day it it would be packed. that tells you a little bit ome economy. >> absolutely. must be good news in there. lester holt is back with us from inside the arena where it has only gotten louder. >> reporter: it got louder and someone said i look like a sports announcer in this stadium. it is very, very loud. the gates open at 6:00 local time. they have been singing and

chanting and just a sense of euphoria here. you see the band has moved into the stadium. expect things to get underway shortly. the crowd has been enjoying themselves, singing along with the songs that they know. as you noted a moment ago this part of africa considered [ inaudible ] perhaps how fitting it is that we are experiencing a steady rain over soweto this morning. >> hamid karzai arriving in his traditional garb from afghanistan. if you are up with us after 4:00 a.m. eastern time you can go to the "new york times" website and see an interesting article on keeping some of these leaders

apart. you have raul castro. you have people who are experiencing high tension between their nations, japan and china. and they all have to have a seating area. at this point we want to remind our viewers you are watching live coverage of the remembrance of nelson mandela live from soweto, south africa. >> interesting you mention where people are seated. i was wondering how close hamid karzai would be sitting to president obama. a wonderful moment, right? possibly. >> think about the african leaders here. >> absolutely. i suspect they are all here. i haven't received a complete list but when i looked at the list it seemed like even one who had a contentious relationship with mandela.

mandela eclipsed him and he let it be known that he didn't appreciate it. he is here to celebrate nelson mandela. people are embracing that the watch word now ought to be forgiveness. >> definitely one of those they are working very diligently to separate from others. >> here usually beautifully attired clothing. >> she set the standard expected of her. >> that's right. >> i like the military escorts for them all. it adds a nice pomp and circumstance. >> i interviewed her once. my first question was where did i get the outfit. she said i have my own designer

from my own country but lives in paris. >> as long as the local tie. >> i found it interesting in the obituary talked about a contentious relationship that nelson mandela had after he left office and that he told someone he didn't want the contentious words to be repeated. but i found that a little strange, actually. i haven't been able to pin it down. >> i saw that, too. as we look at him.

listen to the ovation he is getting. >> and the deputy president of the country. i first met him when i came here in 1985. he was heading the meeting of the minds. people weren't sure if he would be a very good leader of the masses. he was a quiet lawyer. he has risen to the top echelons of power here. >> he sure has. look at the number of nations, just by garb as we look around the world. i don't know. i can't help but feel good for south africa. of course, terrific for the memory of the man they all gather for today. what a chamg handed to south africa. here is the coming week. today is fnb stadium.

and then nelson mandela will lie in state at the union building. if you saw "nbc nightly news" last night right behind our anchor location there. if you saw the movie "invictus" a lot of scenes took place there. the procession from mthatha a to qunu. it is not built for the infrastructure it will have to accommodate for the burial. the state funeral is sunday. we are in soweto which is part of johannesburg. pretoria is the capitol of south

africa. and then journey due south to qunu. very few people have been out there. >> i have been there. it is a lovely -- i'm a rural girl. it is a little like due west. he was a sheep herder. he played games and played jokes on people. it is about two hours from any airport where any sized airplane can land. it will be very difficult. all of these years when he has been ailing he has talked about wanting to go home, meaning pass on, in qunu. unfortunately, his health didn't allow him to get there. they had a full icu at his home

in johannesburg. i think that is where he wanted to pass on. he will be laid to rest there and i think that would please him. >> there is secretary general of the united nations. when we say this is like having a portable united nations here for one day we truly mean it. this is important. it is important for south africa. it is important for people around the world to see what caliber man can bring together this group of world leaders. >> there is no person on this continent i don't think who could draw this kind of a crowd. i think it is interesting that it is in a soccer stadium. there were many reasons for the end of apartheid but south

africa's love of sports was one of them. they wanted to compete in the international arena. they were prohibited because of sanctions. so it is sort of fitting in a way that you have a celebration of a man who brought all of that to an end and happening in a soccer stadium. >> i love the colors. the colors are so fantastic and so beautiful. what we just saw a bit of in that previous shot was all of these different uses of the south african flag. >> she is head of the african union. >> we have time. you and i are both -- >> that's right. the head of the african union, the first woman. as you know she was once deputy president of this country.

before that she was -- a long time ago married to president zuma a. they have a very good relationship. they have children. i have never seen any kind of discourse between them. there has been some speculation that she might become president of this country one day. of course, that is speculation. i guess i shouldn't be speculating. there is one of south africa's billionaires. >> that is news in itself. joining us, we have heard from lester holt. the intrepid andrea mitchell. andrea's time as a correspondent has overlapped so many of the

modern american presidents who all had nelson mandela in common. talking to jimmy carter here yesterday, having talked to bill clinton last week, you realize that mandela has all of these separate and deep friendships with these men, with their family families. and like the parable of the blind man and elephant they all come away with a different tale to tell. >> in your recollections and your meetings with jimmy carter and bill clinton they are so much on point. also, bush 41 because of his age he doesn't have particular health problems but at 89 this would not be an easy travel for him. he was actually very close with

mandela. i was looking at the video yesterday. it was february 12 that he came into the briefing room for one day after mandela came out of prison. george herbert walker bush said how meaningful it was immediately declaring how important it was for history that mandela was out of prison. he has been a big supporter and quickly embraced. this against the back drop of ronald reagan's long-standing resistance. you have to remember that nelson mandela's first interaction with american presidents was in the cold war context where he was viewed as part of the [ inaudible ] regime. that is why ronald reagan not seeing the bigger picture.

even went up against then secretary of state and against republican leaders who finally led the way to override his veto in length at the congressional caucus at the end of the movement in the united states. interactions of american presidents was so fascinating. it was bush 41 and then importantly jimmy carter here as a member of the elders. as we see now more arrivals. >> i can't help but notice we go to occasional shots. this is south african broadcasting company which we refer to as host tv in events like this. they are in charge of filming

the events in the stadium. the pictures and picture selection are up to them. and we are -- we will narrate as we can. we see a shot of tony blair who is as of now kind of sitting off and alone in the rear of the vip area. he has been going through some trouble right now, potential trouble for his reputation involving some rumors about romantic entanglement and the former mrs. rupert murdoch. the british papers have been giving him a tough time. he, too, has a deep and multi year relationship with nelson mandela. >> he does, indeed. and also the role as middle east negotiator for economic rights.

he was and still remains on the world stage and had very close relationship with nelson mandela. you were speaking about the possibility of [ inaudible ] and it calls to mind the only known encounter between an american president and a post-revolutionary period cuban leader was in september of 2000, that day at the united nations ca castro came side by side with clinton. shook hands with bill clinton. today he has two speakers among these very special dignitaries, president obama and raul castro. that will be closely watched

checking in with people who flew over in air force one and members of the international security team have no assurances of seating arrangements or any ways of keeping them apart. you don't know whether or not according to protocol or however they are going to arrange this whether or not castro would be seated near barack obama. >> we were saying they will go through extraordinary lengths to keep everybody separate. you hear the applause for some of the dignitaries for entered. those of you waiting for the arrival of president obama he is still at the hotel. they have to hold some of them back so they are staggered as they enter. of course, his security is larger than most. >> it is very interesting when i was traveling with president clinton when he came to visit

nelson mandela -- >> hang on one moment. we need to tell our viewers that you are watching our live coverage from soweto in south africa of the memorial here in fnb stadium for nelson mandela. >> i was traveling with president clinton at the time. he was attending a huge event down in the parliament. and there was some talk about people who president nelson mandela embracedt that were enemies of america, so to speak. and actually, this is one of the strong traits that people talk about former president mandela. he almost lectured president clinton that day saying that we have friends who were friends

with us when we needed friends and we are never going to abandon them. the same with gadhafi, castro. it was a time when president clinton was having his own problems -- i see winnie mandela obviously did get her credentials. there she is looking very sad with her daughter. she cancelled many engagements to be by his side the most recent a couple of days before he passed on. that was an indication that things have taken a turn. this is a very big deal for her. she has embraced women on this

continent, trying to put them in entrepreneurial positions in the economy. she was to go to make a speech and cancelled. that is when we knew that the end was near. >> the crowd, i don't think knows, that she is here yet, shrouded by umbrella and hasn't been introduced. we may here the roar. looks stricken and drawn and lost. >> it's been very interesting. there was a long period when nelson mandela and winnie mandela were estranged, divorced, many problems came up about winnie mandela's relationship with different people, even charged with murder of a young person who had been a

part of supposedly -- by the time nelson mandela's son passed away from hiv and aids they brought winnie mandela back into the fold so that practically every day when she was in the hospital she was there, too. when nelson mandela was in prison winnie mandela was banned and harassed by police. mandela wanted to make a statement to people to keep them charged up and continuing to fight. winnie couldn't speak so it

takes a village. i think she never stopped loving him. >> i am really struck by this sight of winnie. she looks so different. i understand it. i understand what an emotional fall this has been. i understand with all of the world media wanting comment to focus the mind. >> i am told by people with her that she has not stopped crying since he passed away. it is just that dramatic. none of us could get inside her head. it has been a long struggle.

and look at that. that's what i'm talking about. that is the family that has been embracing one another throughout this period of mandela's illness. it is just an amazing sight. >> lester, tell us about the arrival of the guests within the stadium. >> reporter: it has been interesting because they are selectively showing some of what you are seeing on the jumbo tron. when we first saw winnie mandela i heard applause and also some cheers it sounded like.